Seasonal Breakfast

Tomatoes in Waiting

Strawberry Futures

HotHouse Capsicum

Rainy Afternoons

Are always good for baking!

Wholegrain Spelt Biscuits

Waking to Green

Yes, yes!  

My window definitely needs to be cleaned but there's nothing like waking to a vista of multi toned green's in the morning.

Genetic Diversity

Some plants tend to breed true to type.. 

With others you see a million different variations when you grow from seed

Nature's Course

The spontaneous May wormcast seedlings are now RATHER advanced

Finding a Way Back

I'm not going to promise that "as of now I am back", but I'm trying to find my way back here.

There's a whole lot going on.  Thankfully in my case it's all positive but as always adjusting takes time, it takes energy and it requires decisions some of which are related to this blog.  As my absence here suggests I honestly don't know the right choices at the moment.

I am surrounded by so much growth and positive energy.  I am surrounded by a wonderful group of fantastically passionate and supportive people in my life.  The problem is I have a hole because I know I have lost contact with many of you by not writing here, and seldom speaking up on your blogs and it's a loss I feel in my spirit.

I am totally blocked when it comes to writing but maybe I can take photo's again.  

Maybe, just maybe this is a way I can share a glimpse into my world without having to make those decisions immediately.  

We'll see, as I really don't feel I can honestly make a solid commitment at this time but I want to be here.  I want to share, it adds to my life in ways that I can't quite express so I am going to try.  To push myself, to find a way to speak even if I can't find the words.

NO! - Mcdonalds in the Hills

**Update**  

With solid community support local councillors have refused the Tecoma McDonalds application last night.  First details -here- from CR Samantha Dunn's blog.  Fingers crossed this is the last we see of the issue but the hills community led by the Tecoma Village Action Group are ready to mobilise again if required.


All I can say is that I am extremely disappointed that council seems to be disregarding community sentiment on this issue. The meeting below is the best chance we have to convince councillors that keeping a diverse range of small traders, rather than a small collection of multinationals, is what this community values.


Thus it's extremely important that we see bums on seats at this meeting.

**Below you have the current information being distributed by the committed group who have been actively protesting this development**

You’d better be seated for this second announcement. Wednesday, the Planning Services department of Yarra Ranges Council delivered its recommendation to council concerning the application by McDonald’s to build a 24/7 outlet in the sleepy, leafy township of Tecoma. Brace yourself …. it recommended that McDonald’s actually be granted its permit.

You don’t have to be a conspiracy theorist to be dumbfounded at the reasons given to justify this recommendation, in which there were over 1200 letters of objection lodged (against 6 in favour). I’ll spare you the litany of deficiencies in the 69-page report because there are only limited opportunities to challenge them at this stage.

Here’s the deal. If a majority of the 9 Yarra Ranges councilors vote in accordance with the Planning Services recommendation (i.e. in support of McDonald’s) then the task of defeating McDonald’s at VCAT becomes immensely more difficult (and expensive). But hope still lies before us because I have it on the highest authority that the most powerful way to exert pressure on councilors is to front up to the council meeting.

If you really care about saving The Hills from McDonald’s, then the choice lies before you. Relax at home in front of the box, or attend the meeting. Keep that restaurant engagement, or attend the meeting. Enjoy that game of netball or tennis, or attend the meeting. Make out that you can’t take the kids with you because they’d be bored, or attend the meeting (and show the kids how to be active, engaged citizens).

The council has, for only the second time in its history, moved its meeting to larger premises in the expectation of a big turnout. If most apparently-concerned citizens decide to leave it to others to attend, then a poor turnout will look even poorer when rattling around in a big hall. But maybe poetic justice will be served that way, for a citizenry that can’t be bothered dragging its rear end over to a council meeting is probably well suited to a row of McDonald’s, KFC and Pizza Hut at the gateway to Sherbrooke Forest.


Here are the Yarra Ranges Council meeting details:



TIME: 7:45 pm next Tuesday October 11 (the discussion and voting on the McDonald’s issue will be the very first agenda item).

PLACE: the York on Lilydale Resort, corner York Road and Swansea Road, Mt Evelyn



No need to RSVP, just turn up. If you have a banner or prop to amplify your presence, please bring.



PLEASE ENCOURAGE YOUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBOURS TO ATTEND – offering them a lift is a good way of cutting off one of their escape routes!